By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

Film Finances, Inc. Acquires UK Distrib Signature Entertainment

Posted Thursday, April 26th, 2018 - Comments Off on Film Finances, Inc. Acquires UK Distrib Signature Entertainment
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FFI HOLDINGS PLC ACQUIRES UK’S LEADING FILM DISTRIBUTOR SIGNATURE ENTERTAINMENT LLC

London, 26 April 2018 – FFI Holdings PLC (AIM: FFI), the holding company of Film Finances Inc., the world leader in the provision of completion contracts to the entertainment industry for films, television, mini-series and streaming product, announced today that it has acquired Signature Entertainment UK (“Signature”), one of the largest distributors of films in the UK.

Founded in 2011, Signature has released over 600 titles and established itself as a leading distributor of diverse entertainment titles to a broad UK audience in cinemas and at home. The company has a wealth of industry experience and acts as an aggregator for Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky as well as other streaming services.

Today’s acquisition continues to expand FFI’S iconic platform which now incorporates completion contracts, entertainment risk insurance, a range of post-production services and world-wide distribution capabilities. FFI’s current documentary collaboration with IMAX and Warner Brothers, Pandas, has now been launched in theatres in the US and has been met with critical acclaim.

Commenting on today’s acquisition, Steven Ransohoff, CEO of FFI Holdings PLC, said, “We are delighted to bring Signature Entertainment under the FFI banner. We look forward to working with Marc Goldberg and his team as they expand their distribution business which is especially well poised in the streaming arena. Signature will afford us excellent opportunities to expand the reach of the rest of FFI’s platform into a new captive distribution channel.”

 Commenting on the acquisition, Signature’s Chief Executive Officer Marc Goldberg said, “I and the whole Signature team are excited about joining the FFI family and the abundance of opportunities now open to Signature to further accelerate the growth of the company.  We will continue to bring the best independent content to our partners whilst continuing to look at original opportunities and new ways of working in the ever-changing global marketplace”.

Signature’s recent releases include: Beyond Skyline starring Frank Grillo and Iko Uwais; Jungle starring Daniel Radcliffe; and The Titan starring Sam Worthington, Taylor Schilling and Tom Wilkinson. Their upcoming theatrical slate includes: David Tennant’s Bad Samaritan; the comedy Ideal Home starring Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd; and Jon Hamm’s political thriller Beirut.

About FFI Holdings PLC

FFI Holdings PLC (AIM: FFI) is the holding company of Film Finances Inc. (“FFI”), the world’s leading provider of completion contracts to the entertainment industry, which offer assurance to the financiers of film, TV, mini-series and online media content that productions will be completed on time and on budget. These contracts serve to offload risks to production budgets and timelines for financiers, as well as for FFI through long-standing insurance relationships.

Since its founding in the 1950s, FFI has issued contracts on approximately 1,700 productions with gross budgets in excess of US$17 billion. These include many of the film industry’s best known-titles, ranging from the first Bond movie (Dr. No, 1962) to The Hunger Games (2012) and Oscar winning films such as12 Years a Slave (2013) and La La Land (2016).

FFI is also a fast-growing global provider of post-production equipment and services for the entertainment industry.  FFI entered this business in February 2017 through the acquisition of Pivotal Post and consolidated its position in this market further through the purchase of EPS-Cineworks Digital Studios in November 2017.

Over successive decades FFI has grown globally to become a trusted, iconic brand at the centre of the film industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, USA, it has 11 offices globally, including in London, Stockholm, Toronto, New York, Cape Town, Cologne and Shanghai.

About Signature Entertainment Ltd.

Launched in 2011, Signature Entertainment is the UK’s number 1 independent film distributor. The team combines a wealth of film expertise with a fresh commercial outlook, delivering diverse quality entertainment to a broad audience in cinemas and at home. Signature has released over 600 titles into the UK market since inception, leading the way with innovative, bold ways of releasing and quality productions.

Additional information on Signature can be found at www.signature-entertainment.co.uk

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